Boating

Gorgeous Stays

5 Cabins, 3 Tent Sites, 2 Glamping Sites, 1 Yurt, 3 Vintage RV Rentals

Gorgeous Stays in Bryson City, North Carolina, is a unique outdoor retreat offering glamping sites, tent sites, yurts, cabins, and vintage RV rentals near Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Swain County's western North Carolina mountains — a property whose combination of accommodation novelty, mountain setting, and immediate access to the Smoky Mountain recreation corridor specifically serves the traveler looking for a curated, design-aware overnight experience in one of the most visited mountain regions in the eastern United States. Bryson City's position on the Tuckasegee River at the park's western gateway gives Gorgeous Stays the specific location advantage of proximity to the national park, the Deep Creek tubing area, the Nantahala River, and the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad's steam excursion trains. Glamping sites, tent sites, yurts, cabins, and vintage RV rentals give the property an accommodation portfolio that explicitly resists the conventional campground format in favor of the experiential accommodation approach that guests seeking a distinct overnight character specifically pursue. The vintage RV rental format gives guests without their own equipment the classic Americana camping aesthetic that a new contemporary rental trailer cannot replicate, and the yurt and glamping tent formats provide the canvas-and-structure outdoor sleeping character that the Bryson City mountain setting deserves. Pets are welcome. Great Smoky Mountains National Park's western approaches from Bryson City provide access to the park sections that the Gatlinburg and Cherokee corridors' visitor traffic primarily bypasses — the Lakeshore Trail along Fontana Lake, the Road to Nowhere's tunnel and lakeshore hiking beyond Bryson City's park boundary, and the Deep Creek valley's triple waterfall sequence (Indian Creek, Juney Whank, and Tom Branch Falls) accessible by the Deep Creek Trail just north of town. Deep Creek's tubing — floating the cold mountain stream on inner tubes through the campground at the creek's valley — is one of the most characteristically Great Smoky Mountains family recreation experiences available without a permit or reservation. The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, operating steam and diesel excursion trains from the Bryson City depot through the Nantahala Gorge and the Tuckasegee River valley since 1988, is one of the most scenic heritage railroad experiences in the southern Appalachians — a 44-mile round-trip journey through the river gorge terrain between Bryson City and the Nantahala Outdoor Center that provides the mountain valley viewshed in a format specifically suited to guests who want to experience the landscape without driving its narrow roads. The Nantahala River's Class III whitewater through the Nantahala Gorge, 10 miles west of Bryson City, sustains one of the most popular commercial rafting operations in the Southeast. Gorgeous Stays operates through the western North Carolina mountain season with the spring wildflower season from late April through May, the summer Smoky Mountain visitor peak from June through August, and the October foliage season representing the three primary visitor demand windows. Bryson City's Cherokee County mountain location gives it the highest-elevation Great Smoky Mountains gateway character — cooler summer temperatures than the Tennessee gateway communities, the most intact rural mountain town atmosphere on the park's perimeter, and the specific Nantahala Gorge outdoor adventure access that makes the Bryson City corridor a genuine outdoor enthusiast destination independent of the national park's draws. Reserve accommodations months ahead for summer peak and October foliage, when western North Carolina mountain accommodation fills from the Southeast and mid-Atlantic markets.

from $30/night

Nantahala Ridge Campground

3 RV Sites, 5 Cabins

Nantahala Ridge Campground in Bryson City, NC, offers 3 full-hookup RV sites and 5 cabins, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service. Sites come as back-ins and pull-thrus, each carrying water, sewer, and electric with site-delivered WiFi, a fire pit, and a picnic table. Maximum rig length isn't published, so call with your dimensions before booking — the roads in this canyon are narrow and it's worth the minute. Laundry is on site, and the five cabins give guests without a rig a place to stay. Pets are welcome. Three RV sites in a river canyon is the appeal: hiking from the property, dark-sky stargazing, and no crowd. Bryson City sits in Swain County where the Nantahala runs cold and clear through a corridor of rhododendron and hemlock, minutes from the Nantahala Outdoor Center and the southern entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Rates for sites and cabins are on the booking page. Confirm your rig's fit when you reserve, and book early for rafting season and fall color.

from $49/night

The Cabins at Long Branch

3 Cabins

The Cabins at Long Branch above the Nantahala Gorge in western North Carolina are handcrafted two-bedroom cabin retreats at 3,500 feet elevation — a secluded, private mountain cabin accommodation tucked high above the Nantahala River's Class III and IV whitewater corridor in the southern Blue Ridge, where the elevation gives guests the cool mountain climate that the gorge bottom cannot provide and the proximity to Nantahala's outdoor adventure infrastructure gives the cabin guests the complete access to whitewater paddling, mountain biking, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park from a high-elevation mountain cabin that the Nantahala National Forest's ridge and valley landscape sustains in one of the most recreationally active outdoor adventure destinations in the eastern United States. The Nantahala Gorge's position in Swain or Macon County gives the cabins the specific southern Appalachian elevation character of a mountain retreat above the gorge in a landscape where the 1,800-foot elevation difference between the gorge floor and the surrounding ridge crests creates the dramatic western Carolina topography. Handcrafted two-bedroom cabins at 3,500 feet above the Nantahala Gorge give The Cabins at Long Branch the specific mountain cabin retreat character of a high-elevation private accommodation that the gorge-bottom commercial campground cannot replicate — the elevation gives the cabins the cool mountain summer temperatures and the ridge-top forest setting that distinguish a 3,500-foot cabin experience from the whitewater activity corridor below, and the proximity to the Nantahala Outdoor Center's outfitter services and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park's Swain County entrance gives cabin guests the complete southern Appalachian outdoor adventure access from a comfortable mountain cabin base. Pets are welcome. The Nantahala Outdoor Center, five miles north of the Nantahala Gorge's lower takeout on US-19/74 in Swain County, is the most comprehensive whitewater outfitter and outdoor adventure resort in the American South — a campus of whitewater rafting, kayaking instruction, zip lines, mountain biking, and flatwater paddling that has served as the entry point to the Nantahala River's Class III whitewater for over a million guests since its 1972 founding. The Nantahala River's consistent 45-degree water temperature (released from the bottom of Fontana Lake's cold hypolimnion at Nantahala Lake) and the Class III Nantahala Falls at the takeout give the gorge its specific cold-water character and its most technically demanding rapids. Great Smoky Mountains National Park's Swain County entrance at Bryson City, 15 miles north of the Nantahala Gorge on US-74, provides the Deep Creek area's three waterfalls (Tom Branch, Indian Creek, and Juney Whank Falls), the tubing on Deep Creek's mild rapids, and the access to the park's backcountry trail system that the Swain County entrance specifically makes available in the less-visited southwestern section of the most visited national park in the country. The Cabins at Long Branch serve guests through the western North Carolina mountain cabin season from late spring through fall, with the prime whitewater rafting season on the Nantahala from May through October sustaining the outdoor adventure visitor market and the October fall foliage on the Nantahala National Forest's ridgelines giving the 3,500-foot elevation the most spectacular autumn color display in the southern Blue Ridge. The Appalachian Trail's Wesser Bald section above the Nantahala Gorge and the Bartram Trail's ridge walk through the Nantahala National Forest give hikers the long-distance trail access from the cabin's elevation position. Reserve cabins well ahead for the peak summer whitewater season and the October fall foliage weeks.

from $169/night

Camp Margaritaville RV Resort & Lodge - Pigeon Forge

91 RV Sites

Camp Margaritaville RV Resort and Lodge in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, offers 91 full-hookup back-in RV sites with 30 and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 60 feet at the foot of the Great Smoky Mountains. Super, premium, deluxe, family, and standard categories join a lazy river, pool, hot tub, and bar minutes from Dollywood. Ninety-one back-in sites span standard, family, deluxe, premium, and super categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric on 30 and 50-amp with cable TV and site WiFi, sized to 60 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. The five-tier structure gives real range, and the family category is sized for groups. Cabins round out the lodging. A general store, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side. Check-in is 2pm; arriving earlier may mean waiting, and an early check-in fee applies where the site is ready. A lazy river is the anchor, with an outdoor pool and hot tub and sauna alongside. A craft room, arcade, billiards, ping pong, tennis, pickleball, a playground, pavilion, dog park, snack bar, and bar fill the grounds, with live music, boating, and planned activities through the season. The Margaritaville brand's tropical energy against a Smoky Mountain backdrop is an odd combination that works. Pets are welcome. Dollywood and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park entrance are both minutes away. Summer and fall foliage drive the heaviest demand in Pigeon Forge. Reserve well ahead for June through October.

from $42 $36/night

Rolling Meadows Family Campground

1 RV Site

Rolling Meadows Family Campground in Murphy, North Carolina, offers a water-and-electric back-in RV site alongside cabins and tent camping in the far western corner of the state, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 35 feet. A brand-new heated bathhouse, disc golf course, and laundry serve a Cherokee County property still finding its way onto the maps. The RV site is water-and-electric back-in, carrying 20, 30, and 50-amp service, sized to 35 feet, with a fire pit and picnic table. Plan around the hookups — water and electric rather than sewer, with a dump station on site — and note the 35-foot cap. Contact the campground for current availability of additional sites; the property is new and expanding. Cabins and tent camping round out the lodging. A dump station, portable toilets, and a new heated bathhouse and laundry handle the practical side. One navigation note the campground states plainly: the campground and its road are so new that many GPS applications do not have them yet. Try 195 Hampton Church Road — their radio station neighbor — and follow signs from there. A disc golf course, bocce ball, corn hole, and horseshoes fill the grounds, with boating nearby. Pets are welcome. Murphy sits at the far western tip of North Carolina where the state meets Georgia and Tennessee, surrounded by the Nantahala National Forest. The Hiwassee and Valley Rivers, Lake Hiwassee, the Tail of the Dragon, and Harrah's Cherokee Valley River are all close. Spring and fall foliage drive demand in the western mountains. Reserve ahead for October.

from $39/night

Foxfire of Murphy RV Park

18 RV Sites

Foxfire of Murphy RV Park in Murphy, North Carolina, offers 18 full-hookup RV sites with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted up to 110 feet — a remarkable length allowance for an 18-site boutique property. Premium creekside back-ins join premium full-hookup and pull-through categories in the far western corner of the state. Eighteen sites run in premium creekside back-in, premium full-hookup, and premium pull-through categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric on 30 and 50-amp, sized to 110 feet, with fire pits, picnic tables, and site WiFi. The creekside category is worth requesting. A general store, laundry, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side. With 18 sites, reserve rather than counting on availability. Pets are welcome. A creek runs the property with walking trails alongside, and a community fire pit and dog park fill the grounds. Birding and picnicking run from the site. The intimate scale and year-round operation make this a genuine home base rather than an overnight stop. Murphy is the Cherokee County seat and the westernmost city of any size in North Carolina, at the convergence of the Hiwassee and Valley Rivers near the Tennessee and Georgia lines. That tri-state position gives an outdoor variety few small Appalachian cities match: whitewater rafting, Fields of the Wood, fishing, swimming and boating, Harrah's Cherokee Valley River Casino, and extensive hiking, with mountains and a lake nearby. Summer and October foliage drive demand. Reserve well ahead.

from $55/night

Knoxville Campground

43 RV Sites

Knoxville Campground in Clinton, TN, offers 43 full-hookup RV sites with 30 and 50-amp service and room for rigs up to 83 feet. Sites are grouped by amp service and orientation: back-in 30-amp, back-in 30/50-amp, back-in water-and-electric 30-amp, pull-thru 30-amp, and pull-thru 30/50-amp. Sites carry water, sewer, and electric with a fire pit and picnic table. The park is rated big rig friendly and the 83-foot maximum accommodates long coaches with a toad. Laundry, a bathhouse with showers, a dump station, propane fills, and firewood cover the practical side, with WiFi across the grounds. Pets are welcome, with a dog park. Recreation includes an outdoor pool, a game room and arcade, a fitness center, a clubhouse, volleyball, horseshoes, a playground, and walking trails, with lake and boating access nearby. Clinton sits about 10 miles north of Knoxville off Interstate 75 in Anderson County, near Norris Dam and the Museum of Appalachia. Rates and site-type availability are on the booking page. Late arrivals should note the campground's after-hours policy, which is covered in the park's FAQ — worth reading before a long driving day.

from $58/night

Rockwood Marina & RV Resort

77 RV Sites

Rockwood Marina and RV Resort in Tennessee offers 77 full-hookup RV sites on 1.5 miles of Watts Bar Lake shoreline, with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted up to 105 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout. Beachfront, lakefront, premium lakefront, poolside, and poolside waterview categories name exactly what you are booking, alongside a marina, boat ramp, and fishing pier. Seventy-seven sites span beachfront back-in, lakefront back-in, lakefront pull-in, premium lakefront back-in, poolside back-in, poolside waterview back-in, pull-thru, and waterfront categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric on 30 and 50-amp, sized to 105 feet, with fire pits. Naming every category by its position is genuinely useful, and 105 feet accommodates the longest coaches on the road. A general store, laundry, and restrooms handle the practical side. The marina is the anchor, with boat docks, a boat ramp, and a fishing pier giving direct access to Watts Bar for boating and fishing. An outdoor pool, sandy beach, pavilion, and on-site dining fill the rest. Pets are welcome. The resort opened in summer 2023 as one of the most ambitious marina-integrated campground developments in the Tennessee Valley, and it shows in the facilities — everything is new. Watts Bar is a 39,000-acre TVA reservoir in Roane County between Knoxville and Chattanooga. Summer lake season drives the heaviest demand. Reserve well ahead for Memorial Day through Labor Day weekends, with spring and fall fishing strong and considerably easier availability.

from $52/night

Wilderness Cove Campground

3 RV Sites, 7 Tent Sites, 8 Glamping Sites, 2 Cottages, 1 House

Wilderness Cove Campground in Saluda, NC, offers 3 RV sites, 3 cottage and house rentals, 7 tent sites, and 8 glamping sites, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and back-in sites for rigs up to 45 feet. Sites come in two categories, 30/50-amp full-hookup back-ins carrying water, sewer, and electric, and 30-amp water-and-electric back-ins, each with site-delivered WiFi, a fire pit, and a picnic table. With 18 non-RV accommodations against 3 RV sites, this is a glamping and cottage property that also takes RVs. The grounds are gated, with a bathhouse with showers, a general store, firewood, on-site dining, and visiting food trucks. Pets are welcome. A zip line, a marina, a beach, inflatable water toys, and walking trails fill the riverfront property, with kayaking, boating, swimming, fishing, hiking, biking, and picnicking on the lower Green River. Saluda sits at the base of the Blue Ridge Escarpment, where the mountains drop dramatically from the Appalachian highlands to the Carolina Piedmont. Rates for every accommodation type are on the booking page. Three RV sites means booking early is essential.

from $36/night

Mammoth Ridge RV Park

20 RV Sites

Mammoth Ridge RV Park and Campground in Greeneville, Tennessee, offers full-hookup RV sites on a lake with its own beach, a dog park, a general store and golf cart rentals. Sites take rigs up to 75 feet with electric hookups, which accommodates most large coaches traveling the Nolichucky valley between Morristown and Johnson City. Full-hookup RV sites with electric service accommodate rigs to 75 feet, and a dump station is on site. RV storage is available for guests leaving a rig between visits. Bathrooms, showers and laundry cover the practical side of a stay, a general store stocks basics and firewood, and WiFi reaches the sites. The lake is the property's center of gravity. A beach gives swimmers direct access, and fishing, boating, canoeing, kayaking and paddle boats put guests on the water without leaving the campground. Walking trails and biking routes run the grounds, volleyball and gaga ball serve the younger crowd, and a covered pavilion handles group gatherings. A fenced dog park is on site and pets are welcome. Golf cart rentals make the property easy to move around, and a golf course is nearby. One practical note: this is bear country despite the populated setting, so store food accordingly. Greeneville is the home of Andrew Johnson, and the National Historic Site downtown preserves his homestead, tailor shop and cemetery. The Nolichucky River Gorge lies 20 miles south in the Cherokee National Forest, where a 14-mile canyon carries Class III–IV whitewater, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park's Cosby entrance is a 45-mile drive southwest. The campground runs spring through fall. Cherokee National Forest wildflowers peak April into May, and October foliage on the northeast Tennessee ridgelines is the busiest window of the year — with the Roan Mountain rhododendron bloom, 40 miles northeast, drawing heavily from mid-June into early July. Reserve ahead for both.

from $60/night

Yeary Valley Farms

4 RV Sites, 4 Tiny Houses

Yeary Valley Farms in Speedwell, Tennessee, offers four full-hookup RV sites and four tiny houses on a working farm in the Appalachian highlands, with 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 45 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout. Themed cabin rentals, farm animals, and a pond make this a farm stay rather than a conventional campground. Four back-in sites carry water, sewer, and electric on 50-amp, sized to 45 feet, with fire pits. Four tiny houses and individually themed cabins serve guests without a rig — the themed units are much of the appeal here. At four RV sites, availability is genuinely limited, so book well ahead. Pets are welcome. The farm setting carries the experience, with farm animals on the property and a pond for fishing. Hiking, boating, and stargazing run from the area, and the dark rural sky at this elevation is worth an evening on its own. The position is unusually good for outdoor recreation. Norris Lake — Tennessee's finest fishing lake — has a public boat launch two miles away, and the Royal Blue Wildlife Management Area's extensive ATV and UTV trail network is 12 miles out. Off-roading is nearby, which draws a steady share of guests. The farm sits right off Highway 63 in Speedwell, with Flat Hollow Marina, Blue Springs Hollow Boat Dock, Powell Valley Resort, a Sunoco fuel station, and a Dollar General all within short distance. Summer lake season and fall riding weather drive demand. With four RV sites and four tiny houses, reserve as far ahead as you can.

from $40/night

Talking Rock Motorcoach Resort

One hour north of Atlanta in the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains, Talking Rock Motorcoach Resort offers a category of RV experience that is genuinely difficult to find: a luxury adults-only retreat on 115 private acres where the natural setting and the resort amenities are both operating at the highest level. Designed exclusively for Class A and Class B motorcoaches, the resort trades campground conventions for something closer to a mountain boutique hotel—without asking you to leave your rig behind. Talking Rock village sits at the doorstep, and the greater mountain corridor stretches in every direction. A Mediterranean-style clubhouse forms the social heart of the property, hosting everything from morning coffee hour to live music performances, ice cream socials, and community dance parties that draw guests out of their coaches and into good company. Dual pools—one heated, one chilled—accommodate different preferences, while a dedicated adult pool stays serene for those seeking a quieter soak. The hot tub with mountain views makes a strong case for lingering well past sunset. A full-service spa, fitness center, and pickleball courts round out the wellness and recreation options, and the resort's beautifully maintained gardens and open veranda make outdoor relaxation a genuine draw in itself. The 115-acre property backs up against the forested ridgelines of the North Georgia Mountains, and hiking trails winding through the grounds deliver immediate access to hardwood forests, seasonal wildflowers, and long views across the ridgeline. Elevation runs noticeably cooler than Atlanta, making the resort a popular escape from late spring through fall when the mountain climate is at its most inviting. Evenings carry a particular quality here—quiet except for the sounds of the Georgia woods, with the ridges catching the last colors of the day before the stars come out fully. Blue Ridge, one of the most beloved small mountain towns in the Southeast, is close at hand with its antique shops, wine trail, scenic railway, and outstanding trout fishing and tubing on the Toccoa River. Ellijay, Georgia's self-proclaimed apple capital, offers orchards, wineries, and seasonal festivals within easy reach. Amicalola Falls State Park—home to the southern approach to the Appalachian Trail—is accessible for day trips. Atlanta's world-class museums, dining, and entertainment remain within a comfortable hour's drive for those who feel the pull of the city. Talking Rock Motorcoach Resort is open year-round, though spring and fall claim the most devoted repeat visitors drawn by foliage and mild mountain temperatures. The resort caters exclusively to motorcoaches, so verifying rig compatibility before booking is essential. Event weekends with live music fill quickly, and checking the resort's calendar when planning around specific dates is recommended. If you're searching for an upscale North Georgia mountain retreat that blends genuine natural beauty with resort-quality amenities and a warm sense of community, Talking Rock delivers at every turn. Reserve your site and discover why loyal guests return season after season.

from $79 $68/night